Cleaning device for conduits



Nov. 30, 1948. w. H. PEADEN CLEANING DEVICE FOR CONDUITS Filed ApIfil19, 19454 W//// am P aen Patented Nov. 30, 1948 CLEANING DEVICE FORCONDUITS William H. Peaden, Muskogee, Okla.

Application April 19, 1945, Serial No. 589,221

This invention relates to a pipe cleaning means and it is primarily anobject of the invention to provide means of this kind wherein thecleaning element is confined within and constitutes substantially apermanent fixture with respect to the pipe with which it operates.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pipe cleaning meansembodying an element which extends a desired distance within the pipe.to be cleaned and wherein said element is mounted for both rotary andendwise movement to assure maximum efiiciency oi the element.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaning meansincluding an elongated member which extends a desired distance withinand along the pipe to be cleaned and which is provided with meanswhereby the cleaning member can be readily and conveniently operatedfrom without the pipe, whereby an effective and convenient arrangementis provided to enable the occupant of the building to clear the pipe ofany interfering obstruction therein without the necessity of callingupon the services of a skilled artisan.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved pipecleaning means whereby certain important advantages are attained, aswill be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceedto describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of adiagrammatically illustrated portion of a building showing theapplication of the.

present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the drain pipes,showing the present invention applied thereto and partially in section.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the coacting pin and cams.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, F indicates a floor of thebuilding including the usual joists or beams I from which is supportedin any conventional or preferred manner a carryofi pipe or conduit 2 ofrequired size and which 6 Claims. (01. 15-242) has its outer end formedto provide a convention-a1 hell or flare 3. The opposite end portion ofthis pipe 2, as herein embodied, is continued by a downwardly inclinedextension pipe 4' disposed on a predetermined angle and this extensionpipe l, as illustrated in the drawings, is continued by a downwardlydirected vertical extension pipe 5 leading to and in communication witha sewer pipe 5 or leading to any other desired point of discharge.

Tightly packed in a manner as may be preferred within the hell or flare3 of the pipe 2 is a plate I of steel or any other material possessingthe requisite strength and threading through the central portion of thisplate 1 is a nipple 8. It is believed to be readily apparent that thisnipple 8 may be attached to the plate 1 in any other manner as it isonly required that such securement of the nipple 8 to the plate I berigid.

Threading upon the outer portion of the nipple 8 is a coupling collar 9which also operatively engages the inner end portion of an elongatedtubular member II] which, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,is of a length to extend through and slightly beyond a side wall W ofthe building structure.

Held between the opposed ends of the nipple 8 and the member I0 is arigid disk H having therethrough at its axial center an opening [2through which freely but relatively snugly passes the outer straight endportion I4 of the cleaning element E. This portion I 4 is also of alength to pass out through a central opening IS in a cap I6 for theouter end of the member I0. This cap l6, as herein embodied, may beremoved when desired in order to allow access within the member In whendesired.

The portion i4 also normally extends a distance outwardly beyond theapplied cap I6 and at a desired point inwardly of the cap it, thisportion l4 has rigid therewith a surrounding flange or head l7.Interposed between this head I! and the cap I6 is an expansible memberll! of required tension and which is herein shown as a coil springsurrounding this extended part of the element E. This member or springl8 serves to constantly maintain the element E at the limit of itsendwise movement inwardly of the pipe 2 and to automatically return thesame to such position after the element E has been moved outwardlyendwise.

The extent of inward movement of the element E is limited by anoutstanding pin is rigid with the extended part of the portion 14 andwhich ooacts with cams a on the outer face of the cap l6. These cams a.and the pin l9 coact upon rotation of the element E to cause the elementE to have outward endwise movement while, of course, the element orspring is operates to afiect the inward endwise movement, so that duringa working operation the element E, in addition to its rotary action, ishaving reciprocatory movement, whereby the efficiency of the element ismaterially increased.

The inserted end of the nipple 8, as herein disclosed, has threadedtherein a plug having a central opening 2| through which the portion inof the element E freely but snugly passes and this applied plug 20serves as aretainer for the packing 22 of desired character which isplaced within the nipple 8 between the plug 20 and the disk H. Thepacking may, if desired, be otherwise placed or may be of any characterwhich fully meets the requirements of practice as the features of thepacking in itself forms no particular part of the present invention.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the element E is of such alength as to extend entirely through the pipe 2, the extension 5 and amaterialdistance inwardly of the extension pipe 5 and in order that thismay be accomplished, the inner inserted end portion of the element E isarticulated, the required joints 23 being conventional for this purpose.

The pipe 2, as herein disclosed, at its outer portion is provided with alateral branch 24 into which discharges the drain pipe 25 leading from asink S or other plumbing accessory and the portion of the element 3 fromthe branch 24 to the inserted free end thereof is alternately laterallyoffset in opposite directions to provide scrap ing elements '26 each ofwhich has the outer straight portions c which closely approach the wallof the pipes 2, 4 and 5 so that, as the element E is rotated, thebreaking up of any interfering obstructions will be efiected. This isfurther assured by the endwise movement of the element E which occursduring its rotation.

The extended extremity of the portion !4 of the element E is adapted tohave engaged therewith a hand crank 21 or other desired operating memberwhereby the element E may be readily operated as desired and whichoperation is such as to be readily accomplished by an unskilled person,thus avoiding the necessity of calling upon skilled help should there bea sluggish discharge through the drain pipe 25.

It is to be particularly pointed out that the inserted end of theelement E is free of any connection. This is of advantage because,during the rotation of the element E, it will of itself so spiral as toprovide a means for conveying the released'foreig'n matter within thepipe toward the sewer pipe 6.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a pipecleaning means con structed in accordance with my invention isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

1. A cleaning means for a conduit comprising an elongated elementinsertible within said conduit in a direction lengthwise thereof,laterally disposed scrapers carried by said element at pointstherealong, means coacting with an end portion of the element and theconduit for supporting the element for both rotary movement andreciprocatory movement, and combined cam and spring operated means forreciprocating the element upon continuous rotation of the element in onedirection.

2. In combination with a conduit having a closed end, a scraping elementwithin the conduit provided with laterally directed scrapers, the outerend portion of the element being substantially straight and freelyinsertible through the closed end :0f the conduit and extendingtherebeyond, said extended end .portionallowing the element to have bothrotary movement and reciprocating movement, means connected with saidend portionfor effecting turning of the element,

' therebeyond, said extended end portion allowing team opposition to theaction of, :said resilientv the element to have free simultaneous rotarymovement and reciprocating movement, tensioned means for normally urgingthe element toward its limit of movement in one direction, cam means forefiecting movement of the element, upon rotation, in a direction opposedto the tensioning means, and means for rotating the element.

4. In combination with a conduit having a closed end, a scraping elementwithin 'the conduit provided with, laterally directed scrapers, the.outer end portion of the element being substantially straight andfreely insertible through the closed end of the conduit and extendingtherebeyond, said extended endportion allowing the element to have bothrotary movement and reciprocating movement, tensioned means for normallyrging the element toward its limit "of movement in onedirection, meansfor repeatedly rotating the element, and means formoving the elementendwise in the opposite direction againstthe action of saidtensioned'means upon-rotation of the element.

.5. A cleaning device for a conduit, comprising a tubular body, ,meansfor securing an end ofthe tubular body in an end of the conduit toextend coaxial therewith, a packing closing the secured end of thetubular body, a cover closing the opposite end of the tubular body;saidpacking and cover having aligned openings, a scraping elementdesigned to be rotatably positioned within the conduit and having astraight terminal portion in the form of a shaft extending through theopenings of said packing and cover, said terminal portion being axiallymovable through the tubular body, means at the outer end of saidterminal portion for imparting rotary motion to the same and to thecleaning element, spring means within the tubular body and engaging theterminal portion and normally urging movement of the sameand thecleaning :element in one direction, and coacting means :between saidterminal portion and an vadjacent'part of the tubular body for impartingrepeated reciprocatory movements to, the cleaning element means, uponrotation of the cleaning element and tubular portion in one direction.

6. A cleaning device of the character stated in claim 5, wherein thesaid means for imparting reciprocatory movement to the element comprisesa cam lug formed upon the cover at the outer end of the tubular body,and a cam finger carried by the terminal portion of the cleaning elementand adapted to ride over said lug upon 10 the stated rotation of thecleaning element.

WILLIAM H. PEADEN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

